The Costs of the Russo-Ukrainian and Operation Iron Swords Wars on American Military Defense
- Christine Sixta Rinehart
Abstract
The Russo-Ukrainian War, which began on February 24, 2022, has led to substantial
U.S. involvement. Since May 2024, the U.S. government has granted over $175
billion in aid to Ukraine, with approximately $107 billion allocated for military
assistance. Despite this support, the U.S. military-industrial complex is struggling
to keep pace with demand, resulting in significant shortages of artillery ammunition and Lockheed Martin Javelin anti-armor missiles. In addition, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated terrorist attack on Israel, prompting Israel to respond with Operation Iron Swords. In support, the U.S. government has conducted over 100 military aid transfers to Israel, including two publicly disclosed transfers totaling $250 million since May 2024. Over 80 percent of this aid is directed towards Israeli defense, comprising 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells, transported via C-17 military cargo planes. The exact figures are difficult to track as they continue to rise. This paper explores how military aid to Ukraine and Israel will affect six key factors of American military defense in the future.
Keywords
- Defense Spending
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- Operation Iron Swords War
- Hamas
Sixta Rinehart 